Saturday, January 14, 2012

three\ answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've tagged.

four\ tag eleven people and link them on your post

five\ let them know you've tagged them!

{Facts About Me}

1. My name is Elinda Brooke. The Elinda part is a family name, coming all the way from my Great, great, great, great, great Grandmother. (That is five greats, right?) We are also naming our little girl Elinda Ruby-Grace (given name.) SO excited to give her such a special and beautiful (or in Justin’s opinion-weird) family name! ;)

2. I’d like to think of myself as pretty artistic. I was a candy cane in the Nutcracker, I was a state champion gymnast growing up, I have sang at five weddings, and I was also UAB’s Feature Majorette, and now that I’m a big girl, I would do monogramming or photography everyday for the rest of my life.

3. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to cook!! I always try to channel my inner Rachel Ray while I’m rocking my big chef’s knife back and forth. I also use fresh herbs that I grew in nearly every dinner meal I make.

4. I can do a heel extension while water skiing. I figure you have to see it to believe it.

5. Justin and I were high school sweet hearts. We will be celebrating our five year anniversary this May!!

"Will you marry me?" -Justin

(through tears) "ARE YOU SERIOUS???"-Me

"Well, yeah, I bought you the ring and all..." –Jusitn

"YES!!!!!!!"- Me

6. I am EXTREMELY clumsy. In fact, I actually feel like Ruby’s getting another family name too- Grace. If I make it through a full 24 hours without managing to get hurt in some shape, form, or fashion, I’d consider the day a success.

7. Everything I own is pink: Jewelry, wardrobe, cell, phone, and even my computer. If you are buying me something, you can bet I’ll love it if it comes in pink!

8. I LOVE my jewelry- it’s my love language… no seriously. (I have a post on that to come soon.) Every piece of fine jewelry that I own was a very special gift and has a story behind it. If held at gun-point to give away my jewelry, I might possibly try to negotiate with the gunman. I was devastated to have lost the very first ring and piece of jewelry that Justin ever gave to me. (I had planned on letting my girls wear it as their something blue in their weddings one day.) We are 99% sure it wasn’t lost, but actually stolen when our house was broken into when I was pregnant because I had a bad habit of laying my jewelry on the TV stand after coming in from work. The window the robber broke in through was right beside the TV stand. Unfortunately, I can’t remember 100% if I had left it there that night, but seeing as how the intruder was in our house when we pulled in our driveway and didn’t make it very far in our house (we could tell by muddy foot prints and other CSI work by us and our neighbors), we are pretty positive that was the only valuable they were able to swipe before being scared back out. I still cry over not having it every now and then and go on random rants searching every tiny nook and crevice in our house. Justin says its fine and to let it go because it wasn’t that expensive anyway, but it meant the world to me. Didn’t mean to get on a soapbox. All that to say, jewelry is very special to me. When I open up my jewelry box every morning, it’s kind of like flipping through a scrapbook of happy memories!

9. I don’t drink alcohol except for the incredibly sporadic strawberry daiquiris I might enjoy with the family every now and then. However, after a particularly hard day at work, I am known to come in, go straight to the fridge, and chug a few sips of malt vinegar! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

10. In honor of the Miss America pageant, my senior year, I competed in the Alabama Junior Miss Pageant in Montgomery, AL. It was truly one of the best weeks of my life. Not only did I have a great time, but I also completely fell in love with my amazing host family!! (The BEST host family of all time!!) I was also so honored to earn the title- Alabama Spirit of Junior Miss aka Miss Congeniality!

11. And if you are new to the blog, my husband, Justin, and I have one little boy, Perry, who is 2 ½. We are currently in the process of adopting a little girl, Ruby-Grace, from South Korea!! We are hoping and praying to have her home by the end of the year!!

{Questions for Me, From my Tagger}

1.) What Is One Thing You Can’t Live Without?

I am embarrassed to admit, but my cell phone. I L-O-V-E my Iphone!!! I think mainly because it has everything: phone, texting, email, blogging, camera, video, alarm clock, Pandora, and any app I could possible imagine. It’s dreamy, really.

2.) Where is Your Favorite place to shop?

Hands down At Home Furnishings & Three Sheets Linen in Homewood (they are sister stores). I’m really on a house decorating kick this year. I don’t actually shop in there too often because they are a bit pricey. Although I rarely purchase anything from these two stores, many of their items tend to end up on my Christmas list each year.

3.) What is Your Favorite Nail Polish Color?

I actually am not a nail polish person at all. It flakes off within a day or too and drives me nuts. Every now and then, I’ll wear acrylics, but I always prefer the pearl French tips over colored polish. I just think it’s so classy and elegant. This question kinda makes me want to get my nails done. (This is one thing that Justin loves for me to do, actually. I don’t think most men really care one way or another, but my sweet hubby loves some well- manicured fingernails.)

4.) Do You Prefer Coffee or Tea?

Sweet tea with lemon any day. But not syrup sweet. I HATE coffee! Bleck!! LOVE the smell…HATE the taste.

5.) If you could only pick one blog to read a day which would it be? {I can never choose}

The Long Road to China. This is my friend and mentor, Lisa’s, blog. She has one teenage son, one preschool age daughter that was adopted domestically, and another toddler age daughter who was adopted from China. She posts the most gorgeous photos that are so well articulated and inspiring!

6.) Best Vacation You Have Ever Been On?

Disney World/Disney Cruise with my Mom, Dad, and sister when I was in 7th grade. I want to take Justin, Perry, and Ruby, hopefully sometime in the near future!

7.) Do You Have a Bucket List? If So, What Are 2 Things On Your Bucket List?

I have a 101 in 1001 days list that I’ve been working on. I’m debating on actually posting it or not. Without a doubt, two things on my list are to have four children (or more! Justin willing…) But, definitely at least two biological and two adopted and to become a bigger advocate for orphans around the world. I think it would be amazing to be a part of a sponsorship program or find a way to send large donations regularly to orphanages and foster care programs.

8.) Something You Are Afraid Of?

I am horribly, phobic-ly terrified of needles!! Like full blown panic attacks, with hyperventilation and a massive amount of tears- even in a valium induced state of mind. It is horrible. I’m not sure I will ever go to the doctor without my Mom. (I wish I was just one of those people that passed out at the site of needles. That would be so much easier for me… and my poor mother.)

9.) If You Could Only Eat One Thing For The Rest Of Your Life, What Would It Be?

It’s a tie between lemons with salt and nachos and cheese with lots of jalopeno peppers! YUMMY!!! I eat at least one of these a day.

10.) Favorite Movie?

The Holiday and The Wedding Planner.

11.) What Is The Last Item You Bought?

Underoos- Victoria’s Secret is currently running their Semi-Annual Sale!!

{Questions from Me to Those I Have Tagged}

1. What is your favorite go to date place?

2. What is your favorite Bible verse?

3. If you could spend five thousand dollars selfishly on yourself, what would you buy? (No giving to charity- though I know that’s what you all would really do!)

thanks for tagging me in this post....I'll have to find time this week to do this fun post!

Are you from Montgomery? We lived there for 3 years while serving a local church. Would you happen to know Rachel Waldrop? She's married now, but you guys would be close in age and she was in the junior miss pageant as well....she was our pastor's daughter. :)

hi! I'm stopping by from Tara's blog. I just HAD to say hello since I live in Birmingham too! :) What a cute blog and family. We are already praying for our child we will one day adopt. Such an exciting time for you, I know. I look forward to following your journey! blessings to you and your family, cat (www.catdmoore.com)

I love these..... I always learn some fun facts about my favorite bloggy friends:) I have done quite a few of them in the early bloggy years!! If I have some time, I will see if I can whip together another one:)